West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-07
A VENDETTA.

bfistles With rocks, a good view OF tho low
eSs portion Of the Sandman coast, At its
fest, on the other side, but almost fankirg
il entirely, an opening in TIE cliff shaped
Ike gigantic corridor. serves it for port,
enabling the little Italian or Sandman fish
tng-Smecks 20 advance TO the first line o.
houses, after a long circuit between two
abrupt walls. Ard every fifteen days comes
the old wheezy steamboat which phys be.
tween the town and Ajaccio.
Upon the white mountain the mass OF
houses mako a still whittier stain They
seem like nests CT wild birds attached to the
rock, and overlooking the terrible passage
into which vessels never venture. Withous
repose the wind labors the sea, labors the
nakeI cast which it saaws forever, and
which has scarcely covering of green; it
rushas into the narrow detroit ravaging
either shore. The loSg trails Of white foam,
clinging to the points Of the countless rocks
which pierce the water every where, have
the aspect Of tabters of clothes floating and
Quivering ON the surface.
The house OF the Widow Ssverini,
perched upon tho very edge OF the cliff, as
if soldered there, opened its three windows
to the wild and desolate horizon.
She lived there all alone with her son and
theil dog Aiiegro-st great, saIiiss beast with
long. bristling hair-of sheep-dog breed
The dog aided the young man in hunting.
One evening, after a quarrel, Antonio
Saverini was treacher( usly killed-with
single knife-thrust-.by Nicolo Ravolati,
who the same night, fe 1 to Sardinia.
When the old mother received the corpse
of her child, that some passers-by had found
and carried TO her, she did not weep at all,
but remained for a long time motionless,
staring at the body; then, stretching out her
wrinkled hand over the body, she prom
ised the dead q vendetta. She would not
allow any one to remain with her; and she
shut herself uD alono with the dog, which
howled. The brute howled continuously,
standing up with his foropaws on the edge
of the bed, turning his head toward his
masters face, and keeping his tail between
his legs. There he remained, motionleSs as
tie mother, who low, bending above the
corpse, contemplated it with Fixed stare,
while great dumb tears rolled down her
cheeks
Lying On his back at full length, still
wearing his great coarse jacket, torn and
pierced at the breast the youth seemed to
sleep; hat his EloOi was everywhere-on the
shirt that had been torn open when the first
attempt at aid was mede-on his weston
his trcusers-on his face-on his hands
Gouts Of blood had thickened in his beard
and hair.
The CID mother began to speak to him. At
the sound of her voice, the dog ceased to
howl
Never mind, never mindi thou wilt be
avenged, my little one,-my own boy, my
poor dear child. Sleepl-sleepl-th wilt
be avenged; -dost hear! 1t is mother who
promises this to thee; and she always keeps
her word-mother does"
And she bent down slowly over him, press
ing her lips upon the cold dead lips.
Then Allegro again began to howl He
uttered long, monotonous plaint-piercing,
horrible.
Tho two remained there Until morning
tho woman and the animal
Antonio Saverini was buried next morn
ing and folks soon ceased to speak of him in
BonifaciO.
lie had left no brother, nor even any near
cousins. There was 10 man TO pursue the
vendetta. Toe old woman only thought of
1.-THE old neither!
From morning till night she watched q
white speck cleaning across the strait on
the low shore beyond. 1t was the little Sar-
diniGn village, LOngo- Sardo, whittier CorSi-
can bandits still fly for refuge when too
closely pursued. They alone constitute al
most the entire population of the hamlet,
fronting the coast OF their own fatherland;
and they wait there for the chance to return
to the mountain thicksts. She knew it was
in that village that Eicolo Ravolati was
hiding.
All day long, while sitting alone at her
window, she looked across the water, pom
dering vengeance. But what was she to do
without any man to aida weak, Old
woman, with one foot in the gravel Never
theleSs she had promised; she had sworn
upon tho corpie. She could not forget;
she could not wait What was she to dos
She could not sleep that night for thinking
Of it; she could neither rest nor find peace
of mind; she thought and planned, and
devised incessantly, obStinately. The dog,
which slept at her feet, occasionally lifted
bis head with start and howied ct tao
empty air Since his master had been
killed, the dog often howlod hike that, GS
Il trying to call him back, as if his inconsol-
able animal soul was also haunted by o
memory which nothing could offace.
Now, one night whilo Allegro was howl
ing sudden idea came to the mother--an
idea worthy of vindictive and ferocious
savage. she thought over it until morn
ing; anl rising at the first CLEAN Of dawn,
she hurried TO tho church There, PROSTATE
upon the pavement casting herself down
before God, she prayed him to all her-to
su, tain her-to give her poor old body
strength enough TO enable her to avenge her
son.
Then she went home. she had an old
barrel in her yard, which she used to collect
the rainwatsr in This she enptied, laid on
its side, fixed firmly to the ground by means
Of stakes and slaves Then she chained
Allegro to this extemporiZad kennel and
went into the house.
SIZE began to walk backward and forward
in her room, without even resting-glancing
from time to time at the Sandman coast
He was there-the mur dererl
All that day and all the night following
the dog hcwled. In the morning the old
woman brought him bowl Of water, but
nothing else-rot even 8 bit Of bread or
drop OF soup.
Another day passed. Allegro, worn out
with hunger, slept When morning came,
his eyes glittering, all his hair bristled, aad
he pulled crafty at his chain.
Stll the old woman gave him nothing
to eat. The brute became furious, aud
barked hoarsely. Another night passed.
Early in the morning, Mother Saverini
went TO her nearest neighbor and begged
for some wisps OF straw. Then she took
some old clothes that had formerly belonged
TO her husband and stuffed them with the
straw so as to initiate the form of the
human body.
Planting the pole firmly in the ground in
front OF Aliegro's kennel she fastened the
mannikin upon it so that it seemed to stand.
Then she made head for it out of some old
rags fastened into ball